Russia is one of the cheapest places in the world to build a road, according to Communist Party-owned newspaper, Pravda.

The paper reports that Russian Ministry of Transport figures reveal that the average cost of 1km of roadway in that country is $US1.3 million.

The Ministry says that figure compares favourably to other parts of the world, especially considering the vast distances and harsh climatic conditions Russian road builders have to contend with.

In China, the cost of 1km of roadway is $1.2 million; in the US - $2.4 million; in Canada - $2.7 million; in France - $3.4 million; and in Germany - $3.5 million.

Ministry of Transport head Maxim Sokolov said the department would continue to work towards reducing the cost of road construction.

"But we should not reduce the cost of roads at the expense of their quality. Modern roads must be environmentally friendly," he said.

 

Footnote: If these pictures (below) are anything to go by, Russian roads are already very environmentally friendly (not a hot mix in sight) - however, they're not very user-friendly!

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                       

 

 

Truck driver's lucky escape

Lights go off on UK motorways


Blackout ... motorway lights are being switched off to reduce carbon emissions.

Lighting is being switched off on an increasing number of motorways in the UK in an effort to reduce carbon emissions.

The latest cut affects a section of the M6 near Stoke-on-Trent, reports Highways Magazine.

A UK Highways Agency spokesman said the stretch of motorway had a good safety record and the lights could be switched off without increasing risks to road user safety.

"Since 2009, we've switched lighting off between the hours of midnight and 5am on 15 carefully selected stretches of motorways," said the spokesman.

"Evidence so far indicates that switching off the lights hasn't had an impact on safety. Analysis also suggests that switching off lights does not appear to have affected traffic volumes or speed.

"This is not about wishing to remove all lights from the motorway network, but we are confident we can now begin to permanently switch off motorway lights at certain sites.

"It's all about carefully identifying the locations where, under the revised guidelines, we would not consider installing lighting."

The spokesman said the latest power saving would reduce annual carbon emissions by about 148 tonnes.

"We will also use the money we save elsewhere on the strategic road network where it would have a more significant safety benefit and potentially save more lives."

 

            

Peace of mind ... Eagle Eye enables NSW Parks and Wildlife Service operatives to keep a 24/7 watch over fire-prone bushland via a web browser 

Boylan Eagle Eye is doing a sterling job of keeping watch over fire-prone bushland in rural NSW.

The NSW Parks and Wildlife Service has deployed Eagle Eye at Brown's Knob, an isolated forest area between Grafton and Coffs Harbour.

RMTeK Pty Ltd director Brendan Doyle - the technical support behind the Eagle Eye program - said the technology was not only saving the service money, but offered considerable OH&S benefits.

"In the past, the service would send personnel into the area to monitor the fire risk during times of high fire danger," Brendan said. "Not only was this a costly option, but it put people in a position where they sometimes had to be evacuated by helicopter, another huge financial consideration," he said.

The "no power, no wires" Australian invention enables live and archived vision and data to be accessed via a web browser from any location. It means, staff can keep a 24/7 fire watch on the forest from the convenience of their office or home.

Brendan said the technology had attracted considerable interest at the recent Queensland LoGov exhibition.

"We fielded lots of inquiries from councils keen to have something that they could use all year round," he said.

"During times of high rainfall, they want Eagle Eye for flood monitoring of creeks and roads - during the dry summers, they want to move it onto the high ground for fire monitoring."

Eagle Eye is efficient and simple to use, plus it keeps data costs to a minimum. The weather sensor suite also measures - in real time - barometric pressure, humidity, precipitation, temperature, and wind speed and direction. A full range of environmental sensors is also available.

 

Footnote: If you have gaps in your current CCTV coverage, Eagle Eye can be a permanent or temporary solution. Call Boylan Group on (02) 9425 3000. 

 

 

 

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